Van der Poel Dominates as Brennan & Seixas Announce Themselves | Opening Weekend Breakdown | THEMOVE

He looked like he or he got beast out there. It was I'm scared I'm scared for everybody else for these arrested classics. This is better if you look at Thunderpool I mean we have seen a lot of close-ups from him during this aquacos season right but now again in Omlop I mean the way this guy Holds and pulls on his handlebars these this his shoulders his it's upper arms. It's it's like it's scary man

It's scary. It's like you know. This is not like a fragile tiny bike rider. This guy's a beast Everybody welcome back to the move. I'm Spencer Martin I'm here with Johan Berniel and we are breaking down the opening Classics weekend, which just wrapped up which just occurred this last weekend with Omlop Newsblad won by Matthew Vanderpool on Saturday and Colonel Russell Kern on Sunday with Matthew Brennan from team

Beesma Lisa bike winning a sprint that doesn't really do the race just as though you're on that was one of the hardest Indive races that ended in a sprint that I've maybe ever seen in my life that was brutal and then we'll also go down to Mid-South France to talk about the two one-day races That the big highlight there is Paul Sashos, just annihilating everyone on Saturday dropping Matteo Jorgensen and then soloing 40 40 K to the finish and increasingly the whole time but Johan

“What let's just start with Omlop. That was the first the first one that occurred the one I think the biggest race of the weekend”

It was Matthew Vanderpool first Tim but Tim Tim then dyke second Florian for me's third and

Then Christophe LePort winning the sprint from the group in fourth Vanderpool 22 seconds in front of Van Dyke who was with him with Burmese in a group before drop them on the What is it the Which used to be the big finish for the tour planners. It was fun to see it's back That it was back and then the Peloton was about a minute behind them

But what was your big takeaway from Omlop other than the fact that Matteo Vanderpool's an incredible family? Well, I mean it was And it was an interesting race. There was a breakaway five strong guys But you could obviously see that you know, there was a lot of interest in the Peloton To to have their leaders in the final and

wait about 45 between 45 and 50 get a go

We saw that I mean the Molemberg is usually a very crucial point in any of the races

It's also in the tour planners. It's because it's narrow. Yeah, it's you know You come from almost stands till the pending from where they come from from the rider to left, but anyways It is narrow Florian Vermeers was in first position and then we had this guy from to door Rick Ploemers the Dutch guy Who crashed and if you see those images, it's it's you know, it's a proof of the the kind of artist that

Vanderpool is on the bicycle, you know, it's almost impossible to avoid this and he did avoid it and on top of that he Didn't get off the bike. He did on clip but didn't get off the bike and that was basically the moment where he and Was it Mick Van Decker?

“Who it is one of the Van Decker twins who just I think it was Tim. Yeah, and so these three guys bridge it up to those other five guys and that was it”

But but yeah, I mean it was because of a crash If not it would have also been a decisive point to Molemberg But maybe some more riders would have joined in first instance, right? But the fact is that these three guys who just got a head of that crash and bridge up to the break away and those were the three guys who also were in front in the final until Van Depool

dropped them dropped them on the on the mood of hit us back in without attacking just, you know, from the saddle accelerating Yeah, I mean, I told I mean I told you in an in an early podcast Spencer. I saw him race I saw him training in Spain. He looked amazing and

Yeah, I mean, he was he he wanted to start off loop a newsblock because he'd never done it before

And we know nowadays, you know, if underpool chooses his program he chooses a race It's because he wants to win it. He doesn't do any other races. He does not do any races. He doesn't want to win And yeah, it's like almost like a track and feel that way. He just helicopter's in to these specific races after training specifically and then wins Yeah, I mean it makes it look easy for different cycling and track and field because in track and field

“If you just strongest, you have the fastest time you win right?”

In cycling it's a bit different. There's other circumstances, but still you know the way he was above everybody else

But yeah, I mean

“Great, I think great for the race great for what you great for his team”

And and I think that anybody in the race I mean nobody was was at a chance I listened to an interview of Florian Vermeer after the race and He said you know why you know The interviewer said why did you collaborate? He says you know I think it was my responsibility to collaborate. I was in front

I was in a position of being the protected rider of the team in that situation

And you know if we if we ride we're sure of the podium and you never know if something happens with what you

But he also said that he knew already while they were riding it was basically only Vermeer's and Thunderpool. No, I don't think I don't think one day Collaborated a lot maybe a little bit but just now and then it was basically those two riders who did all the work And he said you know he already knew that on the mirror he was not gonna be able to stay with with Thunderpool, but you know being the best of the rest Once you are in a situation that you're ahead of everybody

In the case of Florian Vermeer's then basically you say okay, you know I'm just trying to go as far as I can and hope I can make it to the finish for second place And that's the way these riders race now, you know, I mean once they see that Thunderpool or Pogachara is at the start. It's you know who can be second which is basically worked a victory

Yeah, and yeah, I've a lot to say about that, but just first of all I thought you I did a really good job

If you notice going into the Mollumberg they were at the front. They were really putting a lot of resources in the getting for Mesh first Real into the climb and they gave it their best shot. He attacks he had a gap Vanderpool 99 actually 9.9 riders out of 10 crash right there and Vermeer's probably goes on to win the race So they tried he bridged up and I wish but and then also Tim Van Dyke really I thought really savvy He doesn't make that initial move visimo's on the front panic, you know

Correctly saying this is the when he moved They're giving it everything the moment it sits up he is a teammate with him He bridges the teammate gets to the front and kind of gums it up you can see visimo's yelling at them for not working And then that's it that's the move. I kind of wish interviewers and they asked that question if they I wish they would state Well, what's the other outcome so I don't work with Vanderpool and then what happens he sits up we all get caught

He's gonna drop me any on on the final climb so and then I'm competing with 50 people for third place second place versus I didn't they did a little bit of work. I mean Vanderpool was hammering like hammering for

“between those thoughts I think Spencer, you know, you say okay if Thunderpool crashes for Mirrors goes”

Had in the race I don't think so I don't think for Mirrors with if because it wouldn't have stayed ahead because it would eventually have been organized behind And you know, I think visma and Visma and Red Bull together with obviously because Thunderpool would have got not and then you would have had the opposite and also collaborating He would not have stayed ahead for Mirrors. I think it was in his interest

He only had one chance to stay ahead if but when he was with Vanderpool because alone He would have he would have gone obviously super fast also but the speed of for Mirrors is not the speed of Thunderpool so I think I think he did what he had to do. I mean hats off to him to you know to not say hey You know what I'm just gonna sit on the wheel of Vanderpool and see what happens

The guy took his responsibility and he looked pretty satisfied. I would say you know and then it is Interview afterwards was was really really Well thought off and he said you know what I mean there's gonna come a time when you know I have to win against Not you first I have to be there with him Right yeah, I think that's not that's not that's not stupid thinking you know it's it's like okay

“Let's first be there if you want to win you have to come to the to the line for first”

It's like you say you know if you don't collaborate from the pool get sick of it They get back it back real in and and and then he has to compete again against three four teams and maybe he doesn't make it in the break in the next move

It's always you know that's always a possibility so

I think I think from here to the right thing Show that he's really strong and He's definitely gonna be one of the one of the strong guys in the in the spring classics in you know flanders and Group and it will give me all those races And he builds confidence it's also not clear like what what was UA's other options back in the group

And he builds confidence you know the last time flooring for me's podium that are one day world to a race Is it funny to me? It will pay everybody twenty twenty one so five years now. So this is not nothing like it's important to get podiums

Tim Vendika had never been on a world tour one day podium so

These aren't but these are big results for these guys. You can't just throw that away. That's not nothing Especially you've worked that hard to get there. We should also mention I think just mathematically with it was a A wild number of crashes. I don't know what was going on in the peloton like these moments chasing pretty Pretty well for Matthew Brennan and then Brennan gets caught out in the crash that hurts the chase But if they were bad it was wet. So I mean it was wet. That's obviously

Factor and it was also quite windy from what I've been told so Yeah, that's interesting. At the first big race like this You know although You would say you know they're professionals and they're used to this, but you know they have to get that feel again because this is a very specific

“kind of racing you have to get those instincts back”

And you know lots of them have been training there and stuff, but if you race there and it's windy and wet, it's it's a different game Unfortunately, so ashes which you know obviously have Consequences for for some of the guys, you know Yeah, yeah big big comes especially For I guess it was the next day Tim Wellen's breaks his collarbone and then

Stefan Kuhn broke his fear so the very disrupted for those teams springs But just math thematically. I wonder if you're up in the breakaway You're not you don't have the risk of crashing or just as much and then you actually might be better off Riding with Vanderpool and hoping he has a normal like that actually might be the best chance of what's a strategy It's a strategy. It's the same like I say

For the due to France, you know like

How can you beat Pogachari you know a first you have to be as close as possible to him and then

something might happen That art of the race part of cycling so in the case of the classics and in the classics The chances that something happens are obviously a lot bigger Because there's so many different factors. You can't control you know crashes punctures

Getting blown off the road whatever it can all happen

“So so yeah, I think I think you need to race”

to be in front independently and you're not look at Vanderpool Because most of the time when Vanderpool is brought in position by his team and he decides to go I think it's I think it shows what we can expect again for to have flounders, you know like it's going to be it's only Pogachari who can No can be with Vanderpool. I think

Everybody else they're just a level below I mean we're talking about Vanderpool when in like oh it's inevitable it's easy for him to do this. This is impressive To show up. I mean, I'm a big race not a race around the houses as the Belgians would say You don't just show a race around the the church tower Raise around the church tower. That's like a Kermas, you know like that's a little

Mickey Mouse race. It's not a it's not a race around the church tower Wait when in those kermesses it's not nothing all right some people work very hard to win those kermesses but

“This is just a big race. He just showed up in one I mean if you go back I think we'll have been our great writer”

He's won this race one time in a career and it's not like wildven art does not win every time you start So very impressive animal wins. I think it shows us as you said in the pre show or not the pre show the race the show before the race Very fit. I don't know if that's any different than years past but he's not going away. He's going to be a force this year I was I that was so impressed. I'm not To avoid the crash. It's just in I will say I love the guys my favorite writer

Wellven art probably goes down right there Like that's that's I know for this between anybody but yeah anybody but Tom Pickard maybe you've been cocky Anybody but on the pool is it's I mean it's just art it's art on a bike, you know

away the way because imagine first of all the stress

The nerves you know your heart rate is 190 Coming into the mollum mark that's for sure because it's been a big fight, you know, and then you have this issue in front of you this guy of crashes and you just Nonchoently go around that helmet with your bike And I think he lost three feet the rig plan really yeah, yeah, she's

I mean those cobbles which it's so wet and I don't they did not that he did not expect to go down

All you know like it's like it's like it's so yeah, so he was not he was not on the right spot

Blimeers, but you know can you be on the right spot? I mean it's the fact I mean first of all

He was probably super happy he was in second position. I was like okay This is one little win in the race, you know get do that position I could put them on the mollum mark because it's such a big fight and then he goes down so that that was definitely Yeah, very unfortunate for him And I don't know if you notice this one on the fight to get into the mollumburg

It's really intense and they're going all out and Vanderpool is like oh I want to I want to be in a different spot

“And he was moving up on the grass like can you imagine that?”

I'm just gonna hop and then yeah, and we're going 35. I'm also a sponsor. I know that if you saw it I mean what while they were away then you know in the breakaway and then even when he was on his own The way this guy uses the road man. It's like he goes through corners where people have to he goes first of all He goes super fast so You know automatically sometimes the inertia brings him to the outside of the corner and he just goes on the grass in the corner or

Uses there it's like a berm for a mama's yeah Yeah, it's art man. It's it's there's nobody who can do this. I'm gonna I was gonna say there's almost nobody there's nobody Pitcock is an artist also, but Vanderpool is just more often in the front so we can see it what often Let's talk about time pick up for a second. We we hype to my pretty big for this race

“Turn it on and Tom Tom's already trouble. He said he was too cold. I did look cold. He was really struggling with a rain jacket”

But that just I mean to me Pitcock struggles and he was off the back early shows you just why Vanderpool is who who he is like there's a difference between the levels even of these freaks of the sport. Yeah I mean I was also surprised to see Pitcock I mean I don't know if something happened if he had a crash or a flat with before or It was he was obviously not on a great day. This is not his level

But you know with Pitcock you never you don't know in this kind of race. Sometimes he can be good. Sometimes he can be completely off

And that's just what makes Vanderpool so great. You know, he's just always there. He never fails never And also Spencer mean one thing if you just compare for the people you know who are listening and watching me If go go check a picture of Tom Pitcock and Mathew Underpool. It's like David and Golioff. You know as it is Vanderpool is just massive strong force on a bike the way he I mean I don't know the way he holds his handlebars Just transmits that pure strength and then his paddle stroke when he goes it's like it's it's like

It's like pistons of a coin looks of a train Whereas Pitcock is a completely different type of rider. No, he's more fragile. He's tiny he's skinny He's good when he's you know when he has his day but it you cannot have two bigger opposite types of riders

But Vanderpool's just always there in these races. He never he never disappoints

It also goes to show maybe there are limits to GC riders chasing classics wins where Like this is a guy who got podium at the Volta and then remember the old days where you couldn't just be like hey I'm a GC guy at the Grand Tour. I'm gonna go win on loop We might be saying there's okay for people not name today. But got chargers. There's a limit to watch it. It is true. It is true. I mean in Pitcock and the Pitcock because of his Constitution you know, it's it's clear that for him I'm still in the ash or a lot better than then these kind of races because

You know the pure power it's not so much it is it is a little bit but it is less A power to wait issue it's pure power Then in races like I'm still the ash flash where it's really power to we watch for kilo in in in Encourna and in omelope and even into a flounders. It is more based on The brute power and I think without

“That's what that's what I think is is the case”

There are limits. You can't be 200 kilos Like at a certain point of matters, but it kind of doesn't matter. It's just what's the power you're doing and that's why We got chargers so lethal because he's way lighter than these guys and he does almost the same power as Vanderpool This could also just be the whole podcast us being like Matthew Vanderpool so strong. He looks so strong the bike because I thought the same thing He looked like you look at beast out there. It was I'm scared

I mean we have seen a lot of close-ups from him during this aquacross season right but now again in omelope

I mean the way this guy holds and pulls on his handlebars this his shoulders his it's upper arms It's it's like it's scary man. It's scary. It's like you know this is not like a fragile tiny bike rider this guy's a beast Yeah, it's it's such a good athlete too. You can just tell the way rides very very unique also I would say they didn't they technically didn't win but Red Bull They would be winners of the race alongside Matthew Vanderpool for me

They looked like a different team than last year like a really organized series classic team something to keep an eye out for And we'll talk about the Catholic when we get the Sunday but that was my that was my other

“No to about the race you have anything else before you move on. No, I think that's it. You know no surprises much of underpool wins”

Matthew Brandon crashed out so the the the the the substitute leader for Visma so Visma was still quite present but Didn't seem like they had somebody who could they could bring back into the race to have to have a chance but still apart it's for it. No

Yeah big big results kind of foreshadowed in there. They they had a lot of bad luck Lot of crashes in the wrong time still get forward still looked good But let's take a quick break and then we'll talk about Sunday's race curna Everybody this episode is brought to you by one skin if you're like me your skin might need some extra care this time of year Between those cold windy winter rides in the dry air that just feels like it's everywhere

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Using code the move at one skin dot CO slash the move that's 15% off one skin dot CO With code the move and that's dot CO not to come after you purchase the last where you heard about them Please support our show until we sent you one more time one skin dot CO slash the move Okay, you're on a flatter race in theory easier kernel Brussels turn on Sunday I didn't maybe I don't have a good memory of this race. I thought this thing looked brutal like the

Catholic one came out with the vengeance Yes for Phillips and for some reason is on the front on these early climbs hammer and like he's Matthew Vanderpool Maybe he's been inspired by his teammate Visma was up front a lot pressing the pace Matthew Brennan looks strong, but we had major spinners guys That we thought would play a part like Jonathan Malone, Benim Grimai aren't a deli

Just getting popped out the way like 90 does yeah growing a vagin like 90 to 70 Yeah out like it was carnaging even when they got over the hill zone. Let's call it into the flat final 50k The race was still breaking up. It was breaking up and in the last kilometer and Visma was I thought pretty clever They had riders up there in those moves so they didn't have to pull it back They get in the final few hundred meters

They put their depleted resources and do a lead out for Matthew Brennan and Matthew Brennan just smokes That overhead shot at the sprint was unbelievable this guy's 20 years old Smokes the two door duo of Luca Mazato and Matteo Trenton

They get second and third actually Luca if you remember he got

“I believe was it second place at the tour of flenders in 2024”

I think this is his first major results since that the same guy and then It's the same guy. Isn't that crazy? Yeah, because I was like man, I think I think This was definitely I mean at least Sunday's Universal Curenet. This was not a race for sprinters

That you know all these pure sprinters were as you said Milan

“The Lee get my green wig and many others were dropped no chance to come back”

So the racing was hard and the guy's who came back were basically toast

When they got back also not many teams with a lot of manpower left I did think and I don't really understand his is way of racing although we have to say he had a flat tire at a really bad moment Jasper Phillips and had to take a bear a bear bike from from a teammate and then had to switch again, but I've saw I've seen it with you yeah a few actions of Phillips and that I didn't really understand very well

He must have had great legs because he was strong on those some of those cobbled climb I didn't get why I don't understand why he did it Is it to you know for his own confidence? Could be but you know that's not that that's not how you're going to win the bike race

Because once you're in then you know if first of all but by these actions Phillips and was he was isolating himself

There was no teammates left and then if he gets into a selected group Both of the riders are not going to want to work with him anyway So so I was a bit puzzled by these actions But listen, Brennan was super strong. Visma was incredibly strong They were omnipresent everywhere

And it was clear that they were all in for Brennan Pretty impressive having in mind that he crashed the day before the day before in his 20 years old and you know dealing with that pressure and and having that confidence That was really really nice

“Listen, it's another step into his you know escalate towards startup. I think you know it's this guy”

He won a lot of races already last year, but you know this is I mean good universal cue and that's a big race And you know normally having won art there as the leader and you are you know kind of in the shadow Without lesser responsibility being able to step up and you know deliver That's definitely you know that's okay I'm much you bring in here for real, you know

So you know we've talked about Visma in in some of the other podcasts, you know them having trouble you're as being worried for them But pretty good weekend for them They look like they're all dead They're all 14 in envelope winning winning Quna and then You know we'll talk about the other races in France where they also had a strong presence and so

“Yeah, I mean the only thing and you know another guy who I saw who was strong Spencer maybe maybe didn't come”

I didn't get a result something was that happened in the final but he was he looked very strong And I think you know I just want to make a note here in this podcast to keep an eye on him for the real big classics Is Dylan on Bartle Dylan on Bartle look yeah back to his old self It's a bit strange to see him in the college of Sudahl week step

But he looked in very good shape You know did a few attacks and then finally didn't make it into the big groups or he must have had some issue But I think it's very hopeful for him and for Sudahl to see him on on a good level He was he was flying absolutely flying and he could tell

Visma was worried about it because they always had a rider with him. There's this guy Timo

Okay, he's he comes from opposite Okay, very good rider and he was marking all these moves So that you could imagine a scenario where Dylan rolls off the front in the hill zone and they never get back so I actually thought that was going to happen at a certain point But man he he looks unbelievable. I mean same thing with Kristoff report

Both these guys kind of fell off the face of the earth the last few years back and now They look back is it's great to see a future Visma. I mean, I'm going to see it suit all those we went through a few weeks ago Doesn't have any healthy riders so the fact that they have a rider at the front of these races is big I also Tim Wellen's I didn't see it, but Tim Wellen's

I heard it was very bad that he looked like he's in a lot of pain So we're going to have to rule him out for the classics. That's a big deal for you Because he is a key key key rider for today. I forgot chart in every type of one day race

They also lose stuff Kuhn, which is not good Second and third in in Qurina is pretty impressive You know and Matheel Trent in mind. He's how old is Matheel Trent in now? He must be in his late 30s. No

He's got to be in his leg. He's got to be in almost as always been in all these races and

in front already and then again on the podium now and in Qurina that's that's pretty impressive He's 30s. He's 30s. I was mid mid 30s. Not late 30s yet. I mean, but if you I'm maybe I should lay this out for next week, but Man, I don't there's almost no riders over the age of 31 that we in anything anymore. I get's almost

unheard of so the fact that he's he's almost like getting better in his late 30s which is super impressive. I saw a guy I mean little side note. I saw a guy on the weekend who was in his early 40s mid 40s and he can I he can jump straight back into the peloton and probably be in front by the camera. I might have had the race of my son and

Man he looks so fit. It's unbelievable. Crazy. He could be better watch out he might be racing to the other on Saturday. It was that in was that him it was in Mercia. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was on the highway and I saw like the sign of Mercia and he's the first person. Yeah. I thought of it's like, yeah, that's already some town. I don't know if you notice Luke Lempherty, American on EF,

it's it's night that Kerna tenthed on loop. Not only was that a big result for EF as a big result for these guys. 23 years old, you know, kind of struggled at Sudall quicks up to find a home

“but those are good results. Yeah. You listen if you adopt then in those races you have to be in”

great shape. There's no secrets. There's no hiding. Yeah. And to get tough. Because a lot of people you know, maybe do well in one. You rarely see people do well and both on consecutive days. That's that's an elite elite duo there. Any other notes? What did you think about Alpeson, outside of Phillipson and Vanderpool? I mean, they listen. I mean, especially in Kerna, we have to see also what happened because there's a lot of things that happened,

crashes, mechanicals that we didn't see, right? Especially in Kerna, I expected them to be more present around Philip. Me too, because at the end, Phillipson, I think he was he was definitely paying

for his efforts earlier on, but he could never make it back in into a good position in the last

kilometer. But there was also nobody left. There was one rider left, I think, with him.

“But he couldn't really bring him up there. But I think, I mean, even if Phillipson would have”

been in a good position, I don't, I don't think there was anybody who could be, might you Brennan on Sunday, but he would not have won against Brennan, I think. I, yeah, which is crazy to say, his Phillipson was, you know, he was considered the unstoppable guy at this race just a year ago. The separation Brennan put in too long, the different strong. I mean, that's the, you know, the safe sponsor. We, you know, we, we said about Phillips, you know, we haven't seen anything from

him yet, you know, he didn't do great in all Garfrey. Okay, he didn't get the result. It couldn't, but man, he was one of the strongest guys in the race. So, you know, he's, well, any road a teammates bike for like, yeah, he's going to be, he's going to be there in the classics. Like, I mean, Johnson Rayman, buddy, do a bit. He's Phillipson is going to be up there.

“Yeah, I, I think that's, that's fair. And I guess at the end of the day, Albuson,”

they lean on those. Yeah, I mean, they could, yeah, she wouldn't be shocked if he won get mobile gum. The thing I was most surprised by about Kurnas, Jonathan Malan, has finished on the podium, I get mobile gum. Benian Burmese won it. And they look like ours. It's just, the race was, these are legitimate classic skies. And they're just getting popped out the back like it's nothing. And then yeah, for Phillipson to be doing the damage tells us how strong Phillipson.

Yeah, I mean, I, I, if you look at Milan and get my, and Paul Manier, also, Paul Manier,

he had a flat and then could never make it back. But, you know, they were all suffering so

much in, I mean, the, the hilly zone. And then, you know, the racing in the wind, it just took so much out of them that, because it's not like these races, you can write super protected in a bunch. You know, it's, it's a lot of, a lot of these stretches are just single file where everybody's on the limit, whether you are, I mean, even if you're in the wheel, you're not riding in a bunch,

the vacuum of the pelletal.

Colonel seems to have a lot of paved climbs as well. Yeah. And the speed is just so high on those. It's, it's not, it's advantageous to be a really big rider because you're just flying up these paved climbs. It was, I, I thought that was maybe the best race the weekend. I, I really enjoyed Colonel. Yeah, yeah. I mean, obviously, you know, it was great, but, you know, we all knew from the start that if nothing happened to wonder who you're going to win, it was still nice, but, I mean,

luckily, he decided to not go too early for the fans. But, yeah, Colonel was super, super, super good to watch when we didn't know until the end who was going to win. And a lot of changes in situations also, you know, it's been like, I've seen like three or four situations, okay, this guy, this, this, this group is gone, this group is gone. And it always came back, so that that was

“very, very entertaining. What do you think Matt, what's Matthew Brennan's ceiling this spring?”

Is this the biggest race he wins or is he won another race? He can't win. He can't win. He can't win. He can't win. He can't win. He can't even win. Can't win. I think I'm not going to say founders are too bad. That's different. Although, do not let this guy go in a break away.

Do you remember last year you was, I feel like he never left the top ten for the first half of

your bet. Yeah. That was a guy. He's a teenager. It's first ever, yeah. I mean, he, he almost reads older the way he rides and the way he conducts himself. I at least thought he was going to win. He has this winners instinct that's like he doesn't have to learn anything. He knows how to win. Yeah, I'd be curious to see who's the youngest ever winner of this race. I don't know, might be, could be him, young here, youngest oldest. Oh, it's not going to show me.

But if what he's doing at 20, it's almost incomprehensible, lead good. I'm curious to see what he can do the rest of the spring. I'm even more curious to see what he can do the rest of his career.

But speaking of young riders, teenagers, Johan, there was two races and another, I don't know,

another. Before we start about the French races, another teenager who made a big impression in England was actor Alvarez. 19 years ago. Oh, yes. If I'm not mistaken, he's still on the development team of little track. Just so he got brought in. Because cuteness of the world to race, so that's allowed. And he was up there all the time. I saw him bridge across a few times. And then also was

“this cape for a while. 19 years old. So remember that name, actor Alvarez. When he gets 29th on Sunday,”

a corner, only little track rider in the top 50. You had not, not a great, not a great weekend for them. And our Tim Van Dyke and Mick Van Dyke are they? Twins and Johan. Yeah. Twins, crazy, identical. Do we know for turn? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, they look the same. Yeah. And they were previously in Vivo Vismar. That's not right. I mean, Vismar is clearly doing good. They've got some good options. But those were big pickups for Red Bull and retrospect to get two identical twins

that are classics machines. So good job, Red Bull. But yeah, going to France. So we had two one day races. This is kind of the art dents analog to the flimish classics opening and flanners. And then in France, it's these, it's like a Hillary, Hillary or profile. One day races, phone or dash, and then the phone drum. I believe is the one on Sunday. The one on Saturday, in my opinion, is the bigger headline though, because Paul Seychoss did it and Paul Seychoss won.

One in Paul Seychoss didn't just win. He destroyed everybody. Line lined him out on the climb.

“And did you remember, this is the climb from the Japanese. Yeah, some Roman deloops,”

loops, seven K long at about seven and a half percent. It took Paul 16 minutes, which is really fast. Exactly the same time as Ted at forgot chart at European championships. And he just, he just got to the front. He said, Hey, guys, try to hold my wheel. And he was just popping like Egan Bernal pop. So hard. Mateo Jorgensen had to come by. Young Christian was holding on. And then it was just Mateo Jorgensen. This is a double Perry niece winner defending

champion of Perry niece. And he just pops up. He's he's sipping sipping out of his water bottle, dropping him. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this from a teenager. But then we've got problems, right? 41 K to the finish is not Andy as a strong group. It's Mateo Jorgensen, young Christian, Lenny Martinez, the who we used to think was that was the talented up and coming

He continues to extend it until he sets up in the final K wins by almost two minutes with

“it is. I did not have the top three in front of me. I believe Young Christian, like seconds”

Martinez third, you're against in fourth. You're against in fourth, poor, poor Mateo. He

did get second the next day though. So we got a podium. But 148 in front of that group would have been two minutes if he didn't sit up. I mean, it was impressive. I mean to first of all, the way and also the confidence that team had in him. So they went to the front. They started to accelerate, lined it up. Then say, just to go over, don't think he really attacked. You know, he just accelerated from the saddle and then bit by bit they all blew and I mean, the fact that

you're against in pop like that, it was, I mean, yeah, but if you say that the time is the same

time as Pugachar did in European championships. And so early in the season, this is serious,

serious, serious stuff to think about. Is he going to be the guy who is, who will be able to follow Pugachar in the future? I mean, this is serious performance. I don't know if I've ever seen anything like this. So it's 35 seconds faster than the last time he did this climb, which wasn't that long ago. That was in September. So he's improved since then. You said, is this the guy they can follow Pugachar? If we're just going by science? I mean, I guess technically you did. We

“got to say so. Yeah, definitely not going to follow him yet, but he's I think I think right now,”

it's probably the guy who's, I mean, if he's improving still and he's still he's going to improve. And that's a sum that Pugachar's not going to improve a lot anymore. Maybe a little bit. The gap could get smaller. You know, the thing is now for Pugachar's poor Pugachar's, the pressure on him in France is tremendous. It's like, okay, this is the new guy. This is the new savior. This is the new guy. We're going to win the tour. Those are big shoes to fill.

Yeah, he should move to LA and join Georgia's team or something like he's got to get away from this pressure cooker. I am a little worried about him. I mean, I did a little power calculation in this is unbelievable. I, and this is conservatively. This is with some draft. 460 watts for that climb for 16 minutes. So if we say 64 kilos at 7.2 watts per year, that's somewhere too. Yeah, that's very, very accurate. And as you say, that's not quite, if you think of the best Pugachar 20 minute

powers, the climb to call home blue is that, remember at the dolphin night this last year, he was like way better than that, but the time trial to owe to not owe to come, perigood. He was a little better than that. But this is up there. It's getting close to Pugachar.

“He's only 19. I, I think you said last week, Bernard, he knows said you should only go to the tour.”

If you think you can win it, I think we're getting to a point where I don't think you can be tired of Pugachar this year, but if we were talking about like what you said earlier in the show, you just got to be stay close to him, hope something happens to him. I think you'd be getting into that tierio on this year. Yeah, I think it's one of the three best ones. There's still different, different, you know, steps to be made. You know, we need to see how he performs during

three weeks, right? That's so good. Yeah, he's never mentioned to me. He's very, very, you know,

this is another level. There's no reason he won't be able to do it in the future. I have no doubt about that. I think the room, I mean, the indications are that Decathlon is going to take him to the tour this year. I would have disagreed last week, I think, though that. But he should not make decisions, you know, and the heat of the enthusiasm. But hey, you know what? Why not? I mean, if he could, but what would you be waiting for? I think it would be better to do another grant tour.

Gerald of wealth. But listen, I mean, he has at the level, I mean, there are no five other writers at this level, in the Palatom. And so there's no reason to say, hey, you know what, we still need to wait and let him develop and save himself a little bit. He's at the highest level already. So why not? And you see it, I mean, you'd say 19, he's a mature enough, he's ready, not every 19 year old would be.

player is 19 years old. It's very young to be in a professional top level league. And he's doing well. But like Quinn Simmons, super interesting interview talked about, you know, he was the best junior writer that he had ever met. Quinn Simmons. What's I love that confidence, Paul. So it's like, I was the best writer I'd ever seen. And even even he struggled when he turned to prose. So it's not for everybody, but Palatom says, Charles, at least physically, I would say seems like he could handle it.

But yeah, now that you mentioned it, even Pagotchard, his first grand tour was not a tour.

It was the Volta and he had quite well, and then he wins the tour when he goes. So that would be the case, maybe for doing a different grand tour. But I don't, yeah, I don't know. Is that getting his head though? If you have a writer like Paul Seixas, and you don't send him to the tour,

“does then he feel like you don't have confidence. No, I think if, you know, if he doesn't go,”

it's going to be a mutual decision. You know, it's also, he's also going to be part of that decision, for sure. I think he's going to go, man. I mean, it's like, what can stop them? You know, deck at long. Philix Gaul was there top writer. He's doing a zero, and as well, I think good writer, top five candidates, maybe podium. So, if they want to go to the tour with the G.C. guy, they have to take Paul Seixas. We're about math, he would tell him. He's not going.

You think he's not going to the tour? I don't think so. He's going to, I think he's trying to engage you all. Interesting. Yeah, I guess I could see that. And then Lenny Martinez, a good, a good reason not to go the tour to friends. Lenny Martinez, good weekend finishes.

Third, about days shows the French have like the French are back. Six total podiums available.

They get for those podium spots. Lenny Martinez went to the tour last year. This guy's very good, like war leaders jersey at the Vuelta. He's 22 years old. He's finished not below the top five. If any race he's done this year. And he showed up to the tour and you could just watching him, I could tell how much harder the tour was and any other race he'd ever done. Yeah, he just looked like he started sick, you know, because I remember in stage one or two,

he was dropped by himself from the broom wagon coming back. Yeah, that was the first stage one. So, you know, in a guy like part of it, obviously he was sick. If you start like that, it's super difficult to come back from that, man, because they rise to their race every day. So fast that even if you feel better physically, you're already worn out and it takes a day. He had a few good stages. We finished top ten in a time trial.

But you know, overall it was definitely not not his race. I struggle to see Lenny Martinez do well in the tour of France overall. I think he's not, I mean, he's getting back, he's still young. But, you know, his time trial is okay, not great. But then I think he suffers a lot in the transition stages.

“And, you know, he needs to hold him around him, but still, you need to pedal yourself also, right?”

This guy's a pure climber. He's a pure climber. He has this talent to to be there, suffer, and then has this lost kick, his very race savvy, knows how to win. But I see him more for stage wins than for the overall to be honest. Well, it's funny, kind of goes back to the, I feel like we were talking with your son about this, that he's like a big Lenny Martinez believer. And we both think major for the tour, not a great

GC writer. But it goes back to the power you talked about, like the raw power on transition stages, stages is what matters. If you're 52 kilos, you don't have to put out that much power on a climb to do well. But it hurts you. You know, that's why niricantan is a magician. You know, this guy is at a huge disadvantage on these crosswind stages. And he got to a point in his career where he could navigate the white well. But it's very hard to do, especially, I mean, I'm looking

up Martinez is kind of an interesting writer. He gets second at Roman D. He does pay a price in

that time trial. But the thing about one week's stage races is there's not as many transition stages. I agree with you that a French transition stage for the tour de France seems like that's not his friend. But I could see him doing well at a, you see him doing very well at Azure Italia in the future.

“I think you're probably win one. I don't know if he has a grant to it in his legs. He seems”

like the top, he's, I feel like though, I would have said the same thing about Simon Yates or something at the same part of his career. I'm like, I don't think he can win a grant to. And then he wants to

Like that's a skill that transitions to those grand tours. Any thoughts on Matteo Jorgensen? How's our, our Den's project? How is it? He's looking so fast and in good shape. He, you know, he was beaten and dropped fair and square by Sashas, but he is in, in good shape. You know, we finished four on Saturday and second on Sunday. Those two races are very hard and he must be in good shape.

“So he's, I think he's, yeah, he's on the right path to be in good shape for for his objective”

slater on the spring. Do you know, it was a really good young writer that I feel like doesn't.

He gets talked about, but never in the context of being a really good young writer is young Christian.

Yeah, 21 years old. Like, he's done amazing years so far. When's the alluded to her? When's youth classification at, uh, rooted a soul. And then he was, he got dropped obviously, but he was looking very strong on Sashas wheel on Saturday. I, that's someone to keep it on. Like, that's a struggle. Yeah, that's a budding talent at UAE. I think. Yeah. And as you said, with Mateo seems like it's off to a good start to get second and fourth. When you don't have

a great finishing kick and you're going to alignment with people both days, pretty good results.

Yeah. Yeah. And then there's a real angry war. You know, on Sunday, again, you know,

big talent, still young writer with a great punch, but also was able to stay with Mateo Jorgans and all my climb and then it basically smoked him in the last 100 meters. That guy's a winner,

“you know, on the group of my FDG. I don't know if he, I think he, did he win there already or not?”

Yeah, he did actually. Well, he won the day before last year. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So I was having the same days of view of Mike, and I remember winning this race. He's a very good writer. 23 years old, the French are back, Johan. That's good writers. They have good writers. But now the hype around

such a safe shot will be, ooh, that would be incredible. To me, it almost helps these guys,

like, rigour and Martinez, because they would normally have all the hype on them. And they're not, I love, I love both of them. They're not the writer that's going to live up to what the French need them to be. Yeah. But now they can operate in the space where they probably deserve. It's, I think it's great for them that they have this new guy coming along that's eaten up all the way. Yeah, for sure. No, I say shots is the real deal, man. It's, he started the season with a bang. You know,

like he was great in all Garvey and now with that demonstration. It's, you know, it's not against the real big engines. But these guys are all, like, you know, these are the young Christian Martinez,

“Jorgensen, Bernal was up there, also, I think. You know, it was, it was against really, really,”

dangerous rivals. And he wrote away, I mean, didn't just win the race. He wrote away two minutes from that. He was, yeah, to me, that's the most impressive after doing that effort on the climb. Yeah. And he probably, I don't know if he did not purpose, but he did not attack, which it was just visually odd to see. It almost looked, he was going slow, but he's riding away from everybody. It was deep. But then he conserves, you know, he probably doesn't really go that much above threshold,

even at 46 watts. So then he can just continue to push like the fact that he's not attacking. I thought it was just in it. The last two weeks, I thought he just looked so intelligent. Like, way in beyond years, which is what you want to see. You don't want to see someone that just smash, smash, smash all the time. Like, I've like, Vanderpool started as just Vanderpool, see Vanderpool, smash, and he's gotten smarter as his career's gone along. But say, shots, looks, the race awareness

is unbelievable. What do you think? It's right here, right now. What does Paul say, shots have to accomplish to be considered like fulfilling his potential as a prospect? I think right now, probably win a one week stage race. It's like Katalunia, Parinis, Dolphine, Durf Switzerland. He can do that. I think that should be his next basket. That should be his next realistic objective. That's definitely doable. Okay. What about podium at the two

of France? Listen, I mean, it's possible. I'm a bit, I'm a bit, you know, worried still about the

amazing as a stage racing prospect, then as not paned out in three week races? I'm trying to

“think of examples where this, it's like, man, this guy's bulletproof at one week's, and at one”

week races, and then they don't put it together in grandmas. Well, I know you're so far example.

One of you so for sure. I mean, yeah, even I know you're in a grand tour, but Valverde was a little

“Valverde was, Valverde was something else. Me, he won the well time. He put him in all in the”

Jiro and the tour. Yeah. Well, yeah, I guess if I used to win, yeah, I used to was starting in the

Valverde already in his maiden year as a pro. But, you know, since then he has, he's not shown as that consistency. Yeah, and you're right, he looks really good in one week races. It's like really good.

“The world's best perhaps. Yeah, so that would be the question. Can he hold it together for three weeks?”

I'm excited to see him try. Yeah. Anything else you want before we take off? I think we've covered everything's Spencer. What's about it?